Google Messages tests new media gallery UI that takes one step forward, two

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Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

• Google is testing a new media gallery UI with a fullscreen camera viewfinder alongside the ability to caption your media before sending it.
• This test also includes the option to choose “original quality” media for sending photos and videos in full resolution.
• These changes are rolling out slowly to some beta users.

Google’s messaging strategy may still be a mess, but the Google Messages app is clearly the company’s favorite child. Google Messages took center stage for RCS adoption on Android, and Google has been diligently adding new features to the app to make it the prime choice for users. The latest beta for the app has redesigned the media gallery UI, giving us a fullscreen camera viewfinder that frankly feels jarring.

The latest Google Messages beta, v20241118_03_RC00, is slowly rolling out a new, redesigned media gallery UI when attaching an image or video. You now get a fullscreen UI when you try to add an image using the Gallery button on the right of the text compose field. The button launches a camera UI, and you can scroll to the bottom to view images and videos in your device storage.




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